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“The Conference of the Birds”

“The Conference of the Birds” is a Persian-language epic poem written by Sheikh Fariduddin Attar. This epic consists of four thousand six hundred verses and is also known by the names “The Parliament of the Birds” or “The Language of the Birds.”

“The Conference of the Birds” is particularly famous for its section titled “The Seven Valleys,” which is included in important works of Sufi literature. These valleys represent seven specific stages of spiritual journey, named “Quest and Search,” “Love,” “Knowledge,” “Detachment,” “Unity,” “Astonishment,” and “Annihilation.”

In this epic, there is mention of a journey guided by a hoopoe bird, which leads the birds to the seventh valley, “Annihilation.” There, they are shown the abode of the mythical Simurgh. However, when they finally see the Simurgh, they realize that there is no difference between the Simurgh and themselves. It symbolizes the culmination of their search, and they find the result of their quest within themselves.

Author

Sheikh Fariduddin Attar was born in 1145 or 1146 in the city of Nishapur, Iran, and passed away in 1221. His original name was Abu Hamid ibn Abu Bakr Ibrahim, but he is more commonly known as “Fariduddin” or “Sheikh Fariduddin Attar.” The word “Attar” means “a seller of perfumes” in Arabic, indicating his original profession. However, he is renowned as a prominent Persian poet, Sufi, and expert in esoteric sciences. His legacy in Persian poetry and Sufi philosophy remains influential and important to this day.